Endgame in the Balkans: Regime Change, European Style

This book is a very important work. However, let it be said that the EU policies also did a lot of damage on the Balkans. People are leaving Balkans in droves since the early 90s and that trend has not subsided yet. Large numbers of educated refugees and emigrants would never consider living on the Balkans again, largely because of EU support of nationalist regimes and status quo. In the light of EU support for nationalist and essentially fascist regimes, it is very strange to read this book and build the hope of the Balkans' transformation on EU policies. One question we should ask ourselves after reading this book is this: in principle, could EU transform Third Reich to become a European state based on democratic principles? This is how tall the order is of transforming nationalist regimes of the Balkans into viable democracies. It is a project that will stretch across 2-3 centuries, at least.

Written by German-based veteran journalist Elizabeth Pond, Endgame in the Balkans: Regime Change, European Style is a serious-minded examination of how the appeal of European Union membership is affecting the Balkan nations, and repercussions that developments in the Balkans are having on the EU. Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro all must confront and carry out difficult reforms to qualify for EU membership, including establishment of democracy, rule of law, and fostering general societal tolerance. At war with these efforts for change and longstanding intergenerational mindsets produced grown from poverty, corruption, and chauvinism. Yet the EU has already achieved sweeping historic changes by forging a historic reconciliation between France and Germany, and helping to consolidate democracy in Portugal, Spain, and Greece. Endgame in the Balkans explores the most difficult societal and nation-building challenge of the EU yet, through the collective information gathered from hundreds of interviews taken all across the Balkan region. A serious-minded and candid inquiry, written for lay readers and students of modern history and politics alike, highly recommended.